Labubu not the first toy craze, and certainly won't be the last

Pop Mart has struck it rich. The Chinese company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers said this week that it expects profit for the first six months of this year to jump by at least 350% compared with the prior-year period, largely because of its smash hit plush toy, the Labubu. Pop Mart joins a small list of companies that have tapped into the zeitgeist, drawing in millions of buyers who, for one reason or another, simply must get their hands on a toy or gadget of the moment.

Norwegian Olympic ski cross medalist Audun Groenvold dies after being struck by lightning

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Olympic ski cross medalist Audun Groenvold has died after being struck by lightning. The Norwegian ski federation made the announcement. He was 49. Groenvold won bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Games. The federation says he was recently struck by lightning during a cabin trip. He was “quickly taken to hospital and received treatment for the injuries he sustained in the lightning strike.” He then died Tuesday night. Groenvold was a member of Norway’s Alpine skiing team before he moved into freestyle and ski cross. He also won a bronze medal in ski cross at the 2005 world championships and the overall ski cross cup in 2007.

Indian police find Russian woman and her 2 daughters living in an isolated forest cave

NEW DELHI (AP) — Police in India’s southern Karnataka state say they have found a Russian woman and her two young daughters living in isolation in a remote forest cave. The woman, identified as Nina Kutina, and her daughters, were found by police during a routine patrol to Ramatirtha Hill, a popular tourist site on the coast of Karnataka, on July 9. Police officer Sridhar SR said the family had been living in the cave for more than a week. Police said they were taking steps to repatriate Kutina to Russia for overstaying her visa. She and her children have been moved to a nearby detention facility for foreigners living illegally in India.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected to testify in $8 billion Facebook privacy lawsuit

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A $8 billion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company leaders begins, with claims stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. The fallout from that case led to Facebook agreeing to pay a $5.1 billion penalty to settle FTC charges. Now shareholders want Zuckerberg and others to reimburse Meta for the fine and other legal costs, which the plaintiffs estimate total more than $8 billion.

Iceland volcano eruption forces evacuation of town and iconic geothermal spa

LONDON (AP) — A volcanic eruption in southwestern Iceland has once again forced the evacuation of local residents and tourists at the internationally known Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Iceland's local broadcaster, RUV, says the eruption began at around 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday, triggering the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, a campsite and the Blue Lagoon spa. Some 100 people were evacuated from the town of Grindavik shortly after the seismic activity began. The Met Office says lava from the eruption is flowing southeast from a fissure in the barren landscape that is 700 to 1,000 meters wide, but the molten rock isn’t threatening any infrastructure.

Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoil

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer questions Tuesday about investigate files related to Jeffrey Epstein and her clash with a top FBI official. She's seeking to press ahead with a business-as-usual approach in the face of right-wing outrage that has plunged the Justice Department into turmoil. Bondi was pressed by reporters at an announcement touting drug seizures. The Trump administration is struggling to contain the fallout of a decision not to release any more records related to the wealthy financier’s sex trafficking investigation.

Someone stole unreleased Beyoncé music from a car in Atlanta. What to know about the investigation

Atlanta police say they have identified a suspect in the reported theft of Beyoncé's unreleased music from a rental car being used by her choreographer and a dancer. Police on Monday released an incident report saying members of Beyoncé's touring entourage reported the vehicle was broken into July 8 while they ate a restaurant. Among the items that were reported stolen were two suitcases, a pair of laptops and several thumb drives that included unreleased music. It happened just before Beyoncé kicked off four shows at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Police say they have an arrest warrant for a suspect, but they haven't released the suspect's name.

Sesame Workshop regains control of Elmo's hacked X account after racist posts

Sesame Workshop has regained control of Elmo's X account after a hacker posted racist and antisemitic messages. A spokesperson confirmed Monday that the account was compromised over the weekend. Instead of its usual uplifting posts, the account shared offensive content, including a reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The posts were quickly deleted. Elmo's account, with 650,000 followers, has been a platform for mental health awareness. Last year, it gained attention when Elmo asked followers how they were doing, prompting responses from figures like then-President Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.

Martin Cruz Smith, acclaimed author of 'Gorky Park,' dies at 82

NEW YORK (AP) — Mystery novelist Martin Cruz Smith, known for such Arkady Renko thrillers as “Gorky Park,” has died at age 82. His publisher, Simon & Schuster, confirmed that he died Friday in San Rafael, California, surrounded by loved ones. Smith, who had Parkinson’s disease, gave the same condition to his famous protagonist, Renko. His final Renko novel, “Hotel Ukraine,” will be published this week. Smith’s career spanned decades, with honors including a Gold Dagger award for “Gorky Park,” which became a bestseller and a film. His works often explored Soviet and Russian history, and were praised for blending sharp characters with compelling plots.

Nationals take Eli Willits with No. 1 pick in MLB draft, first of record 17 first-round shortstops

ATLANTA (AP) — The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise. The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player taken No. 1 overall since Ken Griffey Jr. to Seattle in 1987, according to MLB. He’s the son of ex-big leaguer Reggie Willits, who played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and also coached with the New York Yankees. Willits, from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, is a switch-hitter who is expected to develop a power swing. The draft came one week after the Nationals fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez.